GEORGETOWN, S.C. - Charleston Southern tied for the second-lowest round of the day to claim third at the 2016 Big South Women's Golf Championship, which wrapped up on Wednesday at Debordieu Club.
Golfers battled through harsh winds during the final round, making low scores almost impossible. CSU sophomore Hayley McNeill had the second-lowest round in the 45-player field, tying for sixth to become the Buccaneers' top finisher.
CSU (+52) finished comfortably in third, 12 stokes ahead of Winthrop (+64). Campbell (+30) won the tournament and claimed the Big South's automatic NCAA berth, edging Coastal Carolina (+40).
Campbell's Nadine White (+3) edged teammate Annelie Sjoholm (+7) by four shots to earn medalist honors. Campbell's Tahnia Ravnjak tied with Coastal's Malene Krolboll Hansen (+8) for third.
Scores spiraled out of control on Wednesday, fueled by strong winds and impossible pin placements. Campbell was 17-over on the day, followed by CSU and Coastal, both at 25-over.
"We came in seeded fourth and, obviously, our goal was to win the conference and we had a shot to win, we really did, but didn't put it all together," CSU Head Coach Matt Cram-Smith said after the round. "I'm proud of the girls, they fought hard. It was a really tough day today with the wind and the course setup. They never quit out there and the future is bright."
McNeill fought the win and pins as well as anyone in the field. She moved up four spots into a tie for sixth with her 75. The sophomore had a birdie on each side and played a 12-hole stretch at even par.
Junior Shelby Thompson and sophomore Emelie Flink tied for 11th.
Thompson birdied the par-3 eighth hole in her round of 77 (+5), holing a 15-foot putt from the back of the green. Flink had back-to-back birdies on No. 11 and 12 in her 79 (+7). She blasted out of a greenside bunker on the par-5 11th to inside of a foot for her first birdie.
Junior Bella Johnson started the day in contention, but finished with an 84 (+12) and in 14th. She had a stretch of two birdies in five holes in the middle of her round, but couldn't overcome three double bogeys on her front nine.
Junior Hannah Barger birdied the par-3 fourth in her round of 82 (+10). She was 31st.
-CSU-
